Babcock International Group (LON:BAB) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Babcock International Group PLC's stock reached a new 52-week high at GBX 1,179 ($15.99) during trading, reflecting strong market interest with over 3.6 million shares traded.
• Analysts have set bullish price targets for the stock, with Berenberg Bank increasing their target from GBX 1,350 to GBX 1,360, signaling a "buy" rating.
• Insiders have been selling shares recently, with significant transactions amounting to over £3.8 million, raising questions about the motivations behind these sales.

Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 1,179 ($15.98) and last traded at GBX 1,175 ($15.93), with a volume of 3647557 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,157 ($15.68).

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on BAB. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a GBX 1,200 price target on shares of Babcock International Group in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on Babcock International Group from GBX 1,350 to GBX 1,360 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Babcock International Group in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of GBX 1,153.33.

Babcock International Group Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of £5.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,477.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 1,045.48 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 929.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 256.62, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Babcock International Group (LON:BAB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 25th. The company reported GBX 50.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Babcock International Group had a return on equity of 44.68% and a net margin of 3.77%. On average, research analysts predict that Babcock International Group PLC will post 41.4298019 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider David Mellors sold 156,485 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,008, for a total transaction of £1,577,368.80. Also, insider David Lockwood sold 223,546 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,008, for a total value of £2,253,343.68. Insiders have sold a total of 469,739 shares of company stock valued at $473,496,912 in the last three months. 1.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Babcock International Group Company Profile

Babcock International Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides value-add services for aerospace, defense, and security in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Africa, North America, Australasia, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Marine, Nuclear, Land, and Aviation.